A conventionally known vehicle surroundings recognition apparatus recognizes a traffic signal or a stop sign in an image acquired by imaging a scene ahead of the vehicle in its travelling direction (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-257299). When there are multiple traffic signals or stop signs in the image, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-257299 determines the order in which the traffic signals or stop signs are arranged in the travelling direction of the vehicle, and controls the travelling conditions of the vehicle according to a traffic signal or a stop sign that is located closest to the vehicle.
When selecting, from multiple traffic signals, a traffic signal based on which driving control is to be performed, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-257299 considers the distance from the vehicle to the traffic signal, but fails to consider the possibility of the traffic signal being blocked out of sight. A traffic signal is, in some cases, hidden and invisible from the vehicle due to a factor unknowable from map information, such as a preceding vehicle, a street tree, or road work.